Effect of spraying number with potassium and liquidhumate on (2)

Abstract

      A study was conducted during two growing seasons of 2011/ 2012 and 2012/2013 in a private orchard at Abu Al- Khaseeb district,Basrah, to study the effect of number of spraying with potassium and liquid humateand their interactions onoil yield of Indian mustard plant  Brassicajuncea (L.) Czern.andCoss .and its chemical composition.     The study Included 18 factorial treatments, which were the combinations of three potassium concentrations 0, 1.5 and 3.0 ml.l^.-1  , three  liquid humate concentrations  0, 50 or 70 ml.l.^-1 spraying once or twice. Complete Randomized Block Design in a factorial experiment was used with three replicates. Treatment means were compared according to the Least Significant Difference (LSD) at 0.05 levels.  Results showed that, plants sprayed with potassium at 3.0 mg l^-1 gave significant increases in oil percentage (27.9% and 30.1%), oil yield. plant^-1 (14.7 and 16.5g) and productivity of oil. hectare^-1 (527.8 and 591.0 kg) for the two growing seasons, respectively. On the other hand, plants sprayed with liquid humate at 70 mg l^-1 gave significant increases in oil percentage (28.8 and 30.6%), oil yield. plant^-1 (15.8 and 17.8 g) and productivity of oil. hectare^-1 (567.1 and 635.9 kg) for both growing seasons, respectively. Meanwhile, plants sprayed twice  gave significant increases in oil percentage (26.4 and 28.8 %), oil yield. plant^-1 (12.4 and 14.0 g) and productivity of oil. hectare^-1 (444.0 and 502.4 kg) for both growing seasons. Interactions between the studied factors, showed significant effects in all studied parameters.     Gas Chromatography- Coupled with Mass Spectrometry showed that the major chemical oil components were unsaturated fatty acid, i.e.  Linoleic acid, Methyl 11-eicosenoate and Ethyl 13-docosenoate which ranged from 48.24% to 81.01% and minor chemical oil components that included saturated fatty acid, i.e. Palmitic acid, Stearic acid, Methyl 18-methylnonadecanoate and Lignoceric acid which ranged from 9.36% to 21.78% and unsaturated fatty acid, i.e. cis-13-Eicosenoic acid and Methyl nervonate which ranged from 2.96% to 31.94%.